Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Throughout Easter we hear from Acts of the Apostles. Acts reveals that from the time of the apostles, we’ve been a “we” people and not a “me” people.
Our liturgical life is the most communal thing we do. “Liturgy” means “the people’s work.” Not “my work” or “your work” or “father’s work” or “the choir's work” but “our work.”
We gather and act as ONE assembly to sing, to listen, to respond, to give thanks and praise, to eat and drink, and to be sent forth to share in the mission of Jesus. Liturgy is a verb, an action of the baptized.
Even the prayers of the presider are communal: “And so Father WE bring you these gifts. WE ask you to make them holy, that they may become for us the body and blood of Christ.”
The words “me” or “I” are rarely found in our liturgical or sacramental prayer texts. We are so familiar with our worship that we may miss this astounding fact.
Scripture reflects this. Today’s daily reading from Acts features its “WE sections”:
WE set sail from Troas. WE spent some time in Philippi. On the sabbath WE went outside the gate along the river where WE found a place of prayer. WE sat and spoke with the women gathered there (Acts 16:11-13).
Luke occasionally employs the pronoun “we” when recounting these travels of Paul. Some argue that the author means to include himself among Paul’s company. Luke is a companion of Paul in Colossians, 2 Timothy, and Philemon.
Others contend that the WE passages (16:10–17; 20:5– 15; 21:1–8; 27:1–28:16) are actually invitations for us to place ourselves in the narratives so that we become travelers with Paul.
Irishman that I am, I like James Joyce’s description of Catholicism: “Here comes everybody!” Saints and sinners. Progressive and traditionalist. Arrogant and humble. Committed and marginal. Married and divorced. Families and singles. Youth and elderly. Middle class, lower class, and upper class. Powerful and lowly. Gay and straight. Introvert and extrovert. Healthy and sick. Schooled and unschooled. Yet all are one. “We.”
Besides the mix listed above, “Here comes everybody” includes the eccentric, the difficult, the clueless, the awkward, the annoying, the frustrating, and the embarrassing.
That’s you and me. Together. An imperfect lot redeemed by Christ so as to be Christ for one another and in our imperfect world.
Here comes everybody!
-Timothy J. Cronin